Whether you love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is a consumer event, and data shows that in recent years, people aren’t just buying gifts for spouses and significant others—they’re shopping for themselves, their family and friends, their coworkers, and even their pets.
According to Rochester First, total Valentine’s Day spending for 2021 is projected to hit 21 billion, which breaks down to $164.76 per person expected to celebrate.
So, if you think your brand doesn’t align with Valentine’s Day shopping, it may be time to give your strategy a second look. Here are five options for celebrating the loved-up holiday with your social media content.
1. Run a Promotion
First, the most obvious answer; many brands find that Valentine’s Day is a great time of year to run a social media promotion. This is especially true for companies with products that stereotypically align with the holiday, like sweets or flowers, but you might be surprised at how you can get creative to create alignment.
We’d recommend thinking through your product or service line and identifying any opportunities to promote your items as a gift, an activity for couples to do together on the holiday, or another celebratory gesture. If alignment exists, your social media platforms are a great place to share your products with a promotional campaign. Popular options include offering a discount, running a contest, or providing a giveaway.
2. Include the Single Crowd
As we discovered above, Valentine’s Day spending in recent years doesn’t solely revolve around spending on spouses or significant others. Tons of shoppers will be looking for gifts for themselves, family and friends, and other loved ones, so don’t forget to consider the single crowd as you prepare your social posts.
Some brands lean into this entirely, offering “anti-Valentine’s Day” content or products to target the singles who have a personal vendetta against the holiday. There’s even a whole market for Valentine’s Day gifts that are negative, ironic, or otherwise put a spin on the holiday’s typical vibe. (Check out a list of examples of these gifts.)
Take this Los Angeles bakery, for example. It went the typical route by offering baked goods that would make a great gift for couples, but it also offers an almost identical box with dark “Love Stinks” products instead.
Source: Big Sugar Bakeshop
As a brand, consider whether you can follow the bakery’s example by spinning your products in a way that appeals to both couples and singles.
3. Lean Into Traditional Love Themes
For a more positive spin on the day, it’s always a safe bet to lean into traditional themes of love and connection in your social posts and captions. Whether your audiences are celebrating romantic love or not, Valentine’s Day can be a feel-good holiday for spreading joy if you do it right. Remember the Valentine’s Day grams you used to send at school? Consider how you can carry that spirit of love and giving into your social posts.
Our team at Lemonlight took that literally in our content for 2020, creating printable Valentine Grams from our office dogs. It was a hit both in our office and with our broader audience, and it gave us a fun way to acknowledge the holiday even though video production isn’t exactly a natural gift for your loved ones.
4. Allow Cheesy Content and Captions
We have great news for all the pun-lovers out there: Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to lean into all your cheesiest content and pack on the wordplay. Because the holiday is notoriously cheesy itself, you can get away with punny captions and hashtags for your February 14 posts. While that approach might invite eye rolls for the other 364 days a year, anything goes on Valentine’s Day.
5. Keep It Light and Fun
Finally, keep it light and fun when you’re planning your Valentine’s Day social content. The holiday is intended to be a celebration of love, so it’s best to stick with positive, playful posts. Save the serious stuff for February 15 and beyond to allow your audience to enjoy the fun.
If you’re still stuck, check out these examples of the best Valentine’s Day videos of all time to see if you can find inspiration. We hope applying these five tips for your social media content this February will turn the holiday into a fun way to connect with your audience and spread the Valentine’s Day love.